The birthday of Lord Krishna, better known as Janmashtami is celebrated with great gusto across the country. Every year people gather together to recite the tale of Krishna - the eight avatar of Vishnu, sing songs in his praise and celebrate Dahi handi. At Mathura and Vrindavan, there are dramatic enactments of Raas Leela that portrays the flirtatious side of this Hindu God. On the eve of Janmashtami, we take a look at how the country is gearing up for its celebration.

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A boy trying to break the Dahi Handi during Krishna Janamashtmi festival near Santacruz airport on Thursday. (Express photo by Prashant Nadkar)

Children dressed as Lord Krishna participated in a competition during Janmashtami festival celebrations at an east Kolkata temple on August 25 to mark the birth of Lord Krishna. (Express photo by Partha Paul)

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A family heads out with the child dressed as Lord Krishna for a Janmashtami competition in Kolkata. (Express photo by Partha Paul)

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This li'l Krishna is too young to break the Dahi Handi and fend for himself, so his mum helps out in Kolkata. (Express photo by Partha Paul)

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MNS-organised 'Dahi Handi' at the grounds of Bhagwati School in Thane, Maharashtra. (Express photo by Deepak Joshi.

Thane Naupada Police registered a case against 'Jai Jawan Mandal' for breaking the law for conducting 9 'pyramid dahi-handis' at the Bhawati School, that was organised by MNS in Thane, Maharashtra. (Express Photo by Deepak Joshi)

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A child dressed as Lord Krishna for a competition during Janmashtami celebrations at an east Kolkata temple. (Express photo by Partha Paul)

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Children under the age of 18 participating in Dahi Handi celebrations in spite of the Supreme Court order against their participation in Andheri Kurla, Mumbai. (Express photo by Kevin Dsouza)

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No one said it was easy! People fall of the pyramid during Dahi Handi celebration at Andheri Kurla, Mumbai. (Express photo by Kevin Dsouza)

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Celebration of Dahi Handi in a traditional way at the Line Ali Panvel, Navi Mumbai. (Express photo by Narendra Vaskar)

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Dahi Handi performed by climbing on top of a ladder to show protest against Supreme court decision to put limit on height of Pyramid formation in Dadar, Mumbai. (Express photo by Nirmal Harindran)

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This year the Dahi Handi celebrations are being held amid much controversy after the Supreme Court's judgment prohibiting castells higher than 20ft. (Express photo by Nirmal Harindran)

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A man breaking the 'dahi handi' in Dadar, Mumbai, after having climbed a ladder in protest of the SC judgment. (Express photo by Nirmal Harindran)

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The people participating in the dahi handi are called Govindas, as the whole event is geared to re-enact - in a more grand fashion - the way Lord Krishna would reach out to the pot of dahi hung from the ceiling as a child. (Express photo by Nirmal Harindran)

The Dahi Handi in Dadar, Mumbai, tied to a decorated rope before the Govindas formed a human pyramid, much higher than the 20ft cap imposed by the Supreme Court this year. (Express photo by Nirmal Harindran)

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Govindas gathering around in Dadar, Mumbai, to form the base of the human pyramid. (Express photo by Nirmal Harindran)

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Children enact a drama on the life of Lord Krishna as they celebrate Janmashtami Festival at DAV Public School in New Delhi. (Source: PTI)

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Seva Mandal education society of Mumbai conducted a Chor Handi where over 150 girl students were dressed as Lord Krishna. (Express photo by Pradip Das)

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Children dressed as Lord Krishna and Radha for a function during Janmashtami celebration at a school in Ajmer, Rajasthan. (Source: PTI)

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A girl looks at an idol of Lord Krishna at a shop ahead of Janmashtami in Jammu. (Source: PTI)

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Students participate in celebrations ahead of the Janmashtami festival in Mumbai. (Source: Reuters)

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Children participate in a fancy dress competition at a school ahead of Janmashtami celebration in Patna. (Source: PTI)

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A man dressed as Vasudev carries a child dressed as Lord Krishna, as he enacts a scene from Krishna's life during Janmashtami festival in Agra. (Source: PTI)

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Muslim women carrying their children dressed up as Lord Krishna and Radha for a program on the eve of Krishna Janmashtami festival in Chennai. (Source: PTI)